Auxiliary cleaning tool of vacuum cleaner

ABSTRACT

An auxiliary cleaning tool of a vacuum cleaner convenient to maintain and capable of being easily switched to a cleaning mode by simple manipulation. The auxiliary cleaning tool comprises a cleaning tool body and pivoting means. The cleaning tool body is disposed on a manipulation handle of the vacuum cleaner to be moved between a cleaning mode in which the cleaning tool body advances and a standby mode in which the cleaning body retreats. The cleaning tool body has a pair of cleaning tool members which are formed by symmetrically cutting a portion of the cleaning tool body of a cylinder shape along a longitudinal direction to define wedge-shaped recesses, each recess being gradually narrowed from one side to the other side of the cleaning tool body. The cleaning tool members are connected to each other by hinge pins and pivot about the hinge pins to open and close. The pivoting means is for switching the cleaning tool body between the cleaning mode and the standby mode. In the cleaning mode, the pivoting means pivots to close to have one end narrowed in diameter, and in the standby mode, the pivoting means pivots to open to have one end extended in diameter.

BACKGROUND

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a cleaning tool of a vacuumcleaner, and more particularly, to an auxiliary cleaning tool which isprovided on a manipulation handle of a vacuum cleaner for cleaning anarrow space, and is easily switched between a cleaning mode and astandby mode.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] As well known, a vacuum cleaner performs sucking and removing ofdust and contaminants from a cleaning surface by using a suction forcegenerated by a vacuum-generating device, and is capable of cleaning notonly a large space such as floors but also a narrow space such as awindow sill.

[0005] In order to perform a variety of cleaning tasks, the vacuumcleaner generally includes a suction brush used as a main cleaning toolfor cleaning large spaces, and a so-called ‘crevice brush’, i.e., anauxiliary cleaning tool for cleaning narrow spaces.

[0006]FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing an example of ageneral vacuum cleaner. As shown in FIG. 1, a reference numeral 10indicates a cleaner body 10 in which main components such as avacuum-generating device are mounted. To the cleaner body 10 isconnected a flexible hose assembly 12 having a manipulation handle 11.An extension pipe 13 is removably connected to the manipulation handle11. To an end of the extension pipe 13 is typically connected a suctionbrush 14 as a main cleaning tool.

[0007] The extension pipe 13 is also provided with a clip 16 attachedthereon, for holding a crevice brush 15 used as an auxiliary cleaningtool when not in use.

[0008] According to the above-described construction of the vacuumcleaner, when a user wishes to use the crevice brush 15 instead ofcleaning a large space, the user detaches the crevice brush 15 from theclip 16 and connects it to the extension pipe 13, replacing the suctionbrush 14. The crevice brush 15 can be connected to the manipulationhandle 11 of the flexible hose assembly 12 for use.

[0009] However, the auxiliary cleaning tool of the conventional vacuumcleaner is inconvenient to use because a user has to connect the crevicebrush 15 to the extension pipe 13 or the manipulation handle 11 for use,while he/she has to have the crevice brush 15 held by the clip 16 whenit is not in use.

SUMMARY

[0010] The present invention has been developed in order to solve theabove problem in the related art. Accordingly, an aspect of the presentinvention is to provide an auxiliary cleaning tool of a vacuum cleanerwhich is easy to use because it is switched to a cleaning mode or astandby mode by simple manipulation.

[0011] The above aspect is achieved by providing an auxiliary cleaningtool of a vacuum cleaner comprising a cleaning tool body and pivotingmeans. The cleaning tool body is disposed on a manipulation handle ofthe vacuum cleaner to be moved between a cleaning mode in which thecleaning tool body advances and a standby mode in which the cleaningbody retreats. The cleaning tool body has a pair of cleaning toolmembers which are formed by symmetrically cutting a portion of thecleaning tool body of a cylinder shape along a longitudinal direction todefine wedge-shaped recesses, each recess being gradually narrowed fromone side to the other side of the cleaning tool body. The cleaning toolmembers are connected to each other by hinge pins and pivot about thehinge pins to open and close. The pivoting means is for switching thecleaning tool body between the cleaning mode and the standby mode. Inthe cleaning mode, the pivoting means pivots to close to have one endnarrowed in diameter, and in the standby mode, the pivoting means pivotsto open to have one end extended in diameter.

[0012] The pivoting means comprises two pairs of guide protrusions, oneguide protrusion in each pair being disposed in a rear portion of thecleaning tool member oppositely to the counter part guide protrusion ina symmetrical manner, and a slider connected with the cleaning tool bodythrough the two pairs of guide protrusions, and having two pairs ofguide holes corresponding to the guide protrusions to guide themovements of the guide protrusions, each pair of the guide holes beingformed in an inclined manner so that a distance therebetween becomesgradually broader towards the rear portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The above aspect and other features of the present invention willbe more apparent by describing a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0014]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an auxiliary cleaning toolprovided in a general vacuum cleaner in a standby mode;

[0015]FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an auxiliary cleaning tool ofa vacuum cleaner according to a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention;

[0016]FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the cleaning toolbody of the auxiliary cleaning tool as a main part of the presentinvention;

[0017]FIG. 4 is a view showing the cleaning tool body of FIG. 3 in anassembled state; and

[0018]FIGS. 5A to 5B are perspective views showing the auxiliarycleaning tools according to the preset invention, in a standby mode anda cleaning mode, respectively.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0019] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention isdescribed in great detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, an auxiliary cleaning tool of a vacuumcleaner according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention,includes a cleaning tool body 30 disposed on a manipulation handle 20 tomove thereon between a cleaning mode in which the cleaning tool body 30advances and a standby mode in which the cleaning tool body 30 retreats,and pivoting means 40 for switching the cleaning tool body 30 to thecleaning mode or the standby mode. In the cleaning mode, the cleaningtool body 30 has one end narrowed in diameter, while in the standbymode, the cleaning body 30 has the end extended in diameter.

[0021] The cleaning tool body 30 has a pair of cleaning tool members 31,32 which are formed by symmetrically cutting a portion of the cleaningtool body 30 of a cylinder shape along a longitudinal direction todefine wedge-shaped recesses, each recess being gradually narrowed fromone side to the other side of the cleaning tool body 30. The pair ofcleaning tool members 31, 32 are connected to each other by hinge pins33 and pivot about the hinge pins 33 to open and close.

[0022] Each of the cleaning tool member 31, 32 has a semicircularsection and has both longitudinal sides inclined by as thewedge-recesses are cut. Accordingly, each of the cleaning tool members31, 32 is in a tapered shape which gradually becomes narrower from oneend to the other end.

[0023] Each hinge pin 33 is disposed at a position that is distancedfrom a front end of the cleaning tool member 31, 32 backward as much as⅘ length of the cleaning tool member 31, 32. The cleaning tool members31, 32 respectively have hinge pieces 31 a, 32a, formed integrallytherewith, into which the hinge pins 33 are inserted.

[0024] According to the above-described construction the pair ofcleaning tool lo members 31, 32 of the cleaning tool body 30 pivot aboutthe hinge pins 33 to open and close. That is, the inward pivotalmovements of the cleaning tool members 31, 32 cause the inclinedsurfaces thereof to closely contact with each other, and the outwardpivotal movements cause the contrary. Accordingly, the cleaning toolbody 30 has the end narrowed in diameter in the inward pivotalmovements, while having the end extended in diameter in the outwardpivotal movements.

[0025] The pivoting means 40 includes two pairs of guide protrusions 41,42, one guide protrusion in each pair being disposed in a rear portionof the cleaning tool member 31, 32 oppositely to the counter part guideprotrusion in symmetrical manner, and a slider 44 having two pairs ofguide holes 43 corresponding to the guide protrusions 41, 42. The slider44 is connected with the cleaning tool member 30 through two pairs ofguide protrusions 41, 42. Also, the two pairs of guide holes 43 areformed in an inclined manner so that a distance therebetween becomesgradually broader towards the rear portion. It should be noted that, inFIG. 2, only one pair of guide holes 43 are shown, while the other pairare hidden in corresponding portions.

[0026] Accordingly, when the guide protrusions 41 received in the guideholes 43 (hereinafter, one pair of the guide protrusions 41 will bedescribed as a representative example) are moved to the front portionsof the guide holes 43, the end of the cleaning tool body 30 is extendedin diameter. When the guide protrusions 41 are moved to the rearportions of the guide holes 43, the end of the cleaning tool body 30becomes narrowed in diameter.

[0027] Hereinafter, the operations of the auxiliary cleaning toolaccording to the present invention in a cleaning mode and a standby modewill be described.

[0028]FIG. 5A illustrates the cleaning tool body 30 of the manipulationhandle 20 in a standby mode. As shown in FIG. 5A, the cleaning tool body30 is in the retreated position of the manipulation handle 20 so thatthe guide protrusions 41 of the cleaning tool members 31, 32 aredisposed in the front portions of the guide holes 43 defined the slider44. With the auxiliary cleaning tool in the standby mode, themanipulation handle 20 is connected with an extension pipe or the like,thereby being capable of cleaning a large space with a main cleaningtool.

[0029] When a user wishes to use the auxiliary cleaning tool instead ofthe main cleaning tool, he/she separates the extension pipe from themanipulation handle 20 and moves the slider 44 to a forwarding portionof the manipulation handle 20. Then, the cleaning tool body 30 is movedto the cleaning mode. As the slider 44 advances, the guide protrusions41 move along the guide holes 43 of the slider 44 so that the cleaningtool members 31, 32 pivot about the hinge pins 33 to close.

[0030] Finally, the cleaning tool body 30 has the end narrowed indiameter as shown in FIG. 5B, thereby being enabled to perform acleaning suitable to a narrow space.

[0031] After the narrow space cleaning, the cleaning tool body 30 andthe slider 44 are retreated backward, and the cleaning tool body 30 ismoved to the standby mode by the cooperation of the guide protrusions 41and the guide holes 43. Accordingly, the end of the cleaning tool body30 is extended in diameter.

[0032] As described above, the auxiliary cleaning tool can always beheld by the manipulation handle without having to use an extra holdingclip when not in use. Also, the auxiliary cleaning tool can be switchedto the cleaning mode by a simple manipulation.

[0033] Since it is easy to switch the auxiliary cleaning tool betweenthe cleaning mode and the standby mode by simple manipulation, a userhas much convenience in using the vacuum cleaner, and there is noworries of losing the auxiliary cleaning toot That is, the vacuumcleaner according to the present invention satisfies the user's variousneeds and thus has higher competitiveness.

[0034] The foregoing embodiment and advantages are merely exemplary andare not to be construed as limiting the present invention. Thedescription of the present invention is intended to be illustrative, andnot to limit the scope of the claims. Many alternatives, modifications,and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. In theclaims, means-plus-function clauses are intended to cover the structuresdescribed herein as performing the recited function and not onlystructural equivalents but also equivalent structures.

What is clammed is:
 1. An auxiliary cleaning tool of a vacuum cleaner,comprising: a cleaning tool body disposed on a manipulation handle ofthe vacuum cleaner to be moved between a cleaning mode in which thecleaning tool body advances and a standby mode in which the cleaningbody retreats, the cleaning tool body having a pair of cleaning toolmembers which are formed by symmetrically cutting a portion of thecleaning tool body of a cylinder shape along a longitudinal direction todefine wedge-shaped recesses, each recess being gradually narrowed fromone side to the other side of the cleaning tool body, the cleaning toolmembers being connected to each other by hinge pins and pivoting aboutthe hinge pins to open and close; and pivoting means for switching thecleaning tool body between the cleaning mode and the standby mode, inthe cleaning mode the pivoting means pivoting to close to have one endnarrowed in diameter, and in the standby mode the pivoting meanspivoting to open to have one end extended in diameter.
 2. The auxiliarycleaning tool of claim 1, wherein the pivoting means comprises: twopairs of guide protrusions, one guide protrusion in each pair beingdisposed in a rear portion of the cleaning tool member oppositely to thecounter part guide protrusion in a symmetrical manner; and a sliderconnected with the cleaning tool body through the two pairs of guideprotrusions, and having two pairs of guide holes corresponding to theguide protrusions to guide the movements of the guide protrusions, eachpair of the guide holes being formed in an inclined manner so that adistance therebetween becomes gradually broader towards the rearportion.
 3. The auxiliary cleaning tool of claim 2, wherein each hingepin is disposed at a position that is distanced from a front end of thecleaning tool member backward as much as ⅘ length of the cleaning toolmember.